Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions that release nuclear energy to generate heat, which

most frequently is then used in steam turbines to produce electricity in a nuclear power plant.
Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion. Presently,
the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced by nuclear fission of elements in
the actinide series of the periodic table. Nuclear decay processes are used in niche applications
such as radioisotope thermoelectric generators. The possibility of generating electricity from
nuclear fusion is still at a research phase with no commercial applications. This article mostly
deals with nuclear fission power for electricity generation.

Nuclear power is one of the leading low carbon power generation methods of
producing electricity. In terms of total life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions per unit of energy
generated, nuclear power has emission values comparable or lower than renewable
energy.[5] From the beginning of its commercialization in the 1970s, nuclear power prevented
about 1.84 million air pollution-related deaths and the emission of about 64 billion tonnes
of carbon dioxide equivalent that would have otherwise resulted from the burning of fossil fuels
in thermal power stations.[6]

Civilian nuclear power supplied 2,488 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity in 2017, equivalent to
about 10% of global electricity generation.[7]As of April 2018, there are 449 civilian fission
reactors in the world, with a combined electrical capacity of 394 gigawatt (GW). Additionally,
there are 58 reactors under construction and 154 reactors planned, with a combined capacity of
63 GW and 157 GW, respectively. Over 300 more reactors are proposed.[8] Most of reactors
under construction are of generation III reactor design, with the majority in Asia.[7]

There is a social debate about nuclear power. Proponents, such as the World Nuclear
Association and Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy, contend that nuclear power is a
safe, sustainable energy source that reduces carbon emissions. Opponents, such as Greenpeace
International and NIRS, contend that nuclear power poses many threats to people and the
environment.

Far-reaching fission power reactor accidents, or accidents that resulted in medium to long-
lived fission product contamination of inhabited areas, have occurred in Generation I and II
reactor designs. These include the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear
disaster in 2011, and the more contained Three Mile Island accident in 1979. There have also
been some nuclear submarine accidents. In terms of lives lost per unit of energy generated,
fission-electric reactors have caused the lowest number of fatalities per unit of energy generated
when compared to the other major energy producing methods. Coal, petroleum, natural gas and
hydroelectricity each have caused a greater number of fatalities per unit of energy, due to air
pollution and energy accident effects.[9]

Collaboration on research and development towards greater safety, efficiency and recycling of
spent fuel in future Generation IV reactorspresently includes Euratom and the co-operation of
more than 10 permanent countries globally.

Nuclear energy is energy in the core of an atom

Atoms are the tiny particles in the molecules that make up gases, liquids, and solids. Atoms
themselves are made up of three particles called protons, neutrons, and electrons. An atom has a
nucleus (or core) containing protons and neutrons, which is surrounded by electrons. Protons
carry a positive electrical charge and electrons carry a negative electrical charge. Neutrons do not
have an electrical charge. Enormous energy is present in the bonds that hold the nucleus
together. This nuclear energy can be released when those bonds are broken. The bonds can be
broken through nuclear fission, and this energy can be used to produce electricity.

In nuclear fission, atoms are split apart, which releases energy. All nuclear power plants use
nuclear fission, and most nuclear power plants use uranium atoms. During nuclear fission, a
neutron collides with a uranium atom and splits it, releasing a large amount of energy in the form
of heat and radiation. More neutrons are also released when a uranium atom splits. These
neutrons continue to collide with other uranium atoms, and the process repeats itself over and
over again. This process is called a nuclear chain reaction. This reaction is controlled in nuclear
power plant reactors to produce a desired amount of heat.
Nuclear energy can also be released in nuclear fusion, where atoms are combined or fused
together to form a larger atom. Fusion is the source of energy in the sun and stars. Developing
technology to harness nuclear fusion as a source of energy for heat and electricity generation is
the subject of ongoing research, but whether or not it will be a commercially viable technology is
not yet clear because of the difficulty in controlling a fusion reaction.

Nuclear fuel—uranium
Uranium is the fuel most widely used by nuclear plants for nuclear fission. Uranium is
considered a nonrenewable energy source, even though it is a common metal found in rocks
worldwide. Nuclear power plants use a certain kind of uranium, referred to as U-235, for fuel
because its atoms are easily split apart. Although uranium is about 100 times more common than
silver, U-235 is relatively rare.

Most U.S. uranium ore is mined in the western United States. Once uranium is mined, the U-235
must be extracted and processed before it can be used as a fuel